ABC/Byron Cohen
The second episode of ABC’s new reality show “The Proposal” is getting pulled after one of the contestants, Michael J. Friday, was accused by a woman of facilitating her sexual assault.
“An allegation has been made against a contestant on next week’s episode of ‘The Proposal.’ While the accusation was not related to the contestant’s appearance on the program, we take it very seriously. ABC and the producers of ‘The Proposal’ are pulling the episode while this matter is under review,” ABC and Warner Horizon said in a joint statement Friday.
The contestant in question was eliminated in the first round, but was accused by Milwaukee resident Erica Denae Meshke on Facebook of being “directly responsible for my date rape.”
Also Read: Ratings: ABC's 'Proposal' Premiere Probably Wishes It Didn't Engage With 'American Ninja Warrior'
In a Facebook post, Meshke wrote that she and the contestant met on Tinder, and when they met, he left her alone with two older men, who then spiked her drink and took her to an apartment, where “the things I endured for the next 5 hours were unspeakable.”
She said that she ran into him later, and confronted him about the incident.
“Once I reminded him of who I was, he acknowledged his part in that evening, and tried to argue with me and justify what he did, but was promptly asked to leave the bar by employees/my friends,” she wrote. “This man is the pretty face that is used as a lure to get girls into unsafe situations.”
Also Read: 'Bachelorette' Contestant Lincoln Adim Convicted of Indecent Assault and Battery
The accusation comes after current “Bachelorette” contestant Lincoln Adim was convicted of indecent assault and battery in May for an incident that occurred in 2016. ABC declined to comment on Adim’s conviction, but producers Warner Bros. TV said in a statement that “No one on ‘The Bachelorette’ production had any knowledge about the incident or charges when Lincoln Adim was cast, and he himself denied ever having engaged in or having been charged with any sexual misconduct.”
“We employ a well-respected and highly experienced third party who has done thousands of background checks consistent with industry standards to do a nationwide background check in this case,” the statement continued. “The report we received did not reference any incident or charge relating to the recent conviction – or any other charges relating to sexual misconduct. We are currently investigating why the report did not contain this information, which we will share when we have it.”
Deadline was first to report to name the contestant as being Michael J. Friday. ABC did not release his name, and attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.
See Meshke’s Facebook post below.
Edit: I'm removing the original photo link this was attached to for sharing purposes. The original photo link is in the…
Posted by Erica Denae Meshke on Thursday, June 21, 2018
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